Automatic switch-operating attachment and receiver-holder foe



R. HERMAN AND J. L. MORRIS.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH OPERATING ATTACHMENT AND RECEIVER HOLDER FOR TELEPHONES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1917. RENEWED MAR. 27. I9l9.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1917. RENEWED MAR. 27.1919.

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REINHOLD HERMAN AND JOLLY L. MORRIS, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-OPERATING ATTACHMENT AND RECEIVER-HOLDER FOR TELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed November 5, 1917, Serial-No. 200,434. Renewed March 27, 1919. Serial No. 285,635.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, REINHOLD HERMAN and JOLLY L. MORRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Grafton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Operating Attachment and Receiver-Holder for Telephones; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic switch-operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, the object in View being to produce a simple and efficient device for use in connection with telephones, so that the person using the telephone will have both hands free for writing or other purposes and dispenses with the necessity of the use of one hand for holding the receiver to the ear.

The invention comprises a simple and efiicient device of this nature having various details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention, shown as applied to a telephone instrument and in operative position.

Fig. 2 is an edge view taken at right angles to view shown in Fig. 1 and with the device in restrained position.

FFig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detailed sectional views showing slight modifications of parts of. the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals:

1 designates a plate, preferably ofmetal and which has an opening 2 therein, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, with shouldered portions 3 in the marginal edge thereof, upon which the base 4 of the telephone is adapted to rest, and 5 are clamps held by screws 6, engaging threaded holes in the bosses 7 upon the plate, and serve to hold the telephone securely in place upon said plate. Rising from said plate is a hollow stud 8 in which the lower portion of the receiver member 9 has a bearing. Said member 9 is bent to form a coil spring 9' and has a laterally inclined portion bent to form the receiver supporting hooks 9 in which the receiver 18, shown in dotted lines, is adapted to be held, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A collar 10 is held to the lower end of said member 9 by means of a set screw 12, and 12 designates a bearing held by means of a set screw 8 to the under surface-of the plate and through which bearing 12' the member 9 passes and which also supports the collar 10 and the member 9 fixed thereto, as shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings that the laterally projecting portion 16 of the plate is recessed as at 17 and the wall 18 of the recess, adjacent to the opening 2, serves as a stop, as shown clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, to limit the rocking movement of the collar 10, by the finger 13 upon one side of the boss 11 projecting therefrom coming in contact therewith. A spring 14: is fastened at one end to the finger 13 and its other end to the lug 15 and tends to return the collar and the receiver holding member to their normal positions, in the event of the receiver holding member being given a slight axial movement, incident to the pressure of the ear of a person when receiving or sending a message when a yielding motion is obtained asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the draw- 1n s.

lhe lateral swinging movement of the upper portion of the receiver holding memher will tend to hold the end of thereceiver receiver the spring 14. will return the memher 9 to its normal position.

Mounted upon the vertical portion of the receiver holding member is a shell 20 which is adapted to be held in different adjusted positions thereon through the medium of the set screw 21, and 22 designates a lateral projection upon the shell which is provided with a series of perforations 23 in which the lower hooked end 24 of the rod 25 may be adjustably held, the upper hookedend 26 of the rod being adapted to engage one of the receiver holding hooks 9 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, for the purpose of adjusting the receiver holding hooks at different elevations, as shown" in solid and dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

A sleeve 27 is mounted upon the vertical portion of the receiver holding member 9, and 28 is a coiled spring the lower portion of which is mounted within the shell 20, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and its upper end bears against the surface of the sleeve 27 and tends to normally hold the sleeve 27 at its uppermost limit. A hook 29 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 30 supported in registering apertures in a laterally extending portion of the sleeve and has a laterally extending gravity handle portion 31, designed to throw the hook into engagement with a flange 32 projecting from the upper end of the shell 20, to hold the sleeve 27 to its lowest limit. A second lever, designated by numeral 33 has a forked end 34, the walls of which are apertured for the reception of the pivotal pin 30, as shown clearly in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The edges of the forked part of the lever 33 contact with the shoulders upon the sleeve 27, serving as a convenient means, when pressure is applied thereto, for returning the sleeve to its lowest limit, independent of the handle 31, the said sleeve being automatically locked down, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, when the sleeve reaches its lowest limit.

By the provision of the lever 33 the sleeve may be pushed down without the operator pressing upon the handle 31, the latter be ing tilted only when it is desired to throw the hook out of engagement with the flange 32, when it is desired to permit the sleeve to be thrown up through the influence of the spring 28.

Upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that bosses 34 project from the sleeve 27 and each is apertured for the reception of the inverted L-shaped rods 35 which latter are held in adjusted positions through the medium of the screws 36. Said L-shaped rods have their upper hooked ends extending in opposite directions and are adapted to engage the eyes formed in the forked arms 37 of the switch hook which normally supports the telephone receiver. Said L-shaped ends, it will be noted, have a slight play in the eyes of the forked receiver supporting switch hook, and when the sleeve carrying the members 35 is pressed down against the tension of the spring 28, said inverted L-shaped rods will normally hold the switch closed, or in the same manner that the switch is closed by the weignt of the telephone receiver.

A collar 38 is adjustably held upon the receiver supporting member 9 by a set screw 39, and serves as a stop to limit the movement of the sleeve in one direction, when it is desired to give the usual tilting movement to the forked switch member to alternately open and close the circuit to signal the central operator.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a slight modification of our invention, in which the sleeve 40 is shown as having its lower portion recessed as at 41, and 42 designates a flange upon the lower end of the sleeve adapted to be engaged by the hook 43, which is pivotally mounted upon the pin 44, and 45 designates a coiled spring mounted intermediate the upper surface of the extension of the plate 1 and the under surface of the handle end of the hook, serving the same purpose as obtained by gravity with the hook 29, shown in Fig. l of the drawings, in throw ing the hook into engagement with the flange 32 upon the shell 20.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings is illustrated another modification of the invention, in in which the hook 46, which is pivotally mounted upon the pin 47, upon the sleeve 47, and relies upon gravity to throw the hook 46 into engagement with the flange 48, which is formed upon the upper end of the boss 49 which rises from the plate 1. In the form shown in Fig. 6 the stop collar 38 has an extension 38 with perforations 38'" therein in which the hollow end of the adjusting rod 25 is adapted to be connected, the collar being held in diiferent adjusted positions through the medium of the set screw 38 The telephone wire, designated by numeral 50, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings, is preferably held by friction in the coil spring 9 when the receiver is placed in the hooks 9, thus holding the wire out of the way and preventing the same becoming twisted, as is commonly the fault with the usual telephones.

In operation, the receiver is placed in the hooks 9 the latter frictionally holding the same in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the sleeve 27 is held down by the hook 29 engaging the flange 32, the inverted L-shaped rods 35 tending to hold the forked switch hook of the telephone closed in the same manner as switches upon telephones are held closed by the weight of the receiver, as now con structed. When the sleeve 27 is. moved down in a locked position the spring 28 will be under tension. When it is desired to use the telephone, the operator merely tilts the hook 29, which will release the same from the flange 32, the sprin 28 throwing the sleeve and the inverted E-shaped rods with it upward, permitting the forked receiver holding switch member to be thrown to an open position, asis done in the usual practice, when a receiver is taken from the receiver supporting hook.

It will be noted that by the provision of our automatic switch attachment and receiver holder for telephones, the hands of the operator will be free for other uses, as it it will not be necessary to hold the receiver when receiving a message. A slight pressure of the ear, of the person using the telephone, against the end of the receiver will cause a slight axial movement to the upright receiver supporting member against the tension of the spring 14, and which will permit the receiver to be held snugly against the ear of said person, as it is customary for a person, when receiving a message, to hold the receiver close against the car. When the receiver is relieved of the pressure by the ear being withdrawn therefrom the receiver holding member will be returned to its normal position, through the medium of the spring 14. When it is desired to close the circuit after the phone has been used the operator by pushing down upon the handle 38 may cause the sleeve to be lowered against the tension of the spring 28 and the hook 529 will automatically engage the flange 32 and lock the sleeve down, and also hold the switch hook closed.

In the event of it being desired to signal the central operator by the usual opening and closing of the switch receiver hook, this may be accomplished by the operator depressing the sleeve a short distance, the movement of the sleeve being limited by the adjustable collar 38 which is held in different adjusted positions upon the receiver holding member 9 by means of the set screw 39.

By the provision of the adjustment of the inverted L-shaped members in different positions in the bosses 34: upon the sleeve, means is provided for adapting the apparatus to different sizes of telephones, in which the switch receiver hook may be positioned at different elevations and through the medium of the adjustable rod 25 the receiver holding member may be held in different positions to adapt the receiver for convenient use at different elevations relative to the transmitter.

What we claim to be new is 1. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a spring pressed axially movable receiver supporting member, having a laterally extending yielding portion with hooks formed therein for supporting a re.- ceiver, means engaging said lateral extension to hold the receiver at dilferent elevations, a switch hook, spring actuated means for engagement with the switch hook, and means for holding the switch open.

2. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a spring pressed axially movable receiver supporting member having a laterally extending yielding portion with hooks formed therein for supporting a receiver, a switch hook, an adjustable shell upon said supporting member, and a rod connecting said shell and lateral extension for regulating the height at which it is desired to hold the receiver, spring actuated means for engagement with the switch hook, and means for holding the switch open.

3. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a spring pressed axially movable receiver supporting member having a laterally extending yielding portion with hooks formed therein for supporting a receiver, a switch hook, an adjustable shell upon said supporting member, and having a lateral perforated extension, a rod with hooked ends engaging said perforated extension and the lateral extension of the receiver supporting member, spring actuated means for engagement with the switch hook, and means for holding the switch open.

4. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a receiver holding member, a spring pressed sleeve -mounted thereon, apertured bosses projecting from said sleeve, inverted L-shaped hooks mounted in said bosses, and set screws in said bosses for holding the hooks in different adjusted positions, said hooks adapted to engage apertures in the forked arms of the switch receiver hook.

5. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a base upon which a telephone is adapted to be held, a receiver supporting member held upon said base and having a laterally extending portion bent to form supporting means for a telephone receiver, a spring pressed sleeve mounted upon said member, inverted hooks carried by said sleeve and adapted to engage the switch receiver hook of a telephone, a locking hook pivotally mounted upon said sleeve, a shell mounted upon said supporting member, a set screw mounted in the threaded aperture in the shell adapted to engage said supporting member, said shell having a flange automatically engaged by the locking hook.

6. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a receiver holding member, a spring pressed sleeve mounted upon said supporting member, a collar adjustably held upon the receiver member, a hook upon the sleeve, and a flanged shell adj ustably mounted upon said member and adapted to be automatically engaged by said hook.

7. An automatic switch operating attachment and receiver holder for telephones, comprising a base, a receiver supporting member mounted thereon, said member formed of a single piece of metal bent into a coil and having a laterally extending portion adapted to support a receiver, the coiled portion 01": the supporter adapted to clamp and hold the Wire connection with the receiver, a switch hook, and adjustable spring 15 our signatures in presence of two Witnesses. 20

REINHOLD HERMAN. JOLLY L. MORRIS.

Witnesses BERTHA MOORE, ERNEST PAYNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

